AnthraxThe Greater of Two Evils (Sanctuary Records)By: Mike SOSUnlike other bands that rip off its fans by releasing sub-par rehashed trash with a new studio cut which inevitably sucks or puts out a re-tracked collection of past glories with new mixes and Pro-Tools trickery, Anthrax started a web campaign to change it up a bit by actually (gasp) see what the band's fans wanted to hear. The Greater of Two Evils is the result, and the rules are simple: the band listed all of its pre-John Bush era material on the site and encouraged the fans to vote for which songs would make the re-recorded release. Instead of treading the same old ground which automatically placed many of its peers in the nostalgia bin, the boys in 'Thrax put a new twist on an old theme (and recorded the whole deal in a two day span in a NYC studio to boot). Encompassing a greatest hits collection, a new release, and a live album in one shot, the boys blew the dust off of 14 songs like "Be All, End All" and "A.I.R." and recorded them live to tape. Not a bad concept, huh? Truly a treat, this disc breathes new life into these timeless metal tunes, and is the closest thing you'll get to the live show experience barring sweating it out in the front row. John Bush's vocals put the badass stomp and delete the expiration date on many of these gems, while Rob Caggiano totally shreds out the Anthrax catalog as he wrote the riffs himself. 14 tracks that predate Sound of White Noise, classics like "Caught In a Mosh", "Indians", "Madhouse", and much more are here, thanks to the fans and their ballots. And of course, Anthrax, who never cease to challenge themselves or give its audience what it wants. Anthrax has set itself up to continue to be pioneers in the game for as long as they see fit.